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Stalking & Getting up Close...HOW?

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Marks:
It always amazed me how when I really try and stalk I always jump deer before I ever see them but on occasion I'll be just trudging through the woods or down a road and BAM!! I'll walk up to a deer and neither one of us even realize it till I'm real close. I'm certainly not saying trudging is a good technique because most of the time I see tails hopping off long before I get close.

I guess what I'm saying is follow all the advice you've been given on here with the understanding that deer do this every day 24/7/365 and they are MUCH better at it than you. Like crookedarrow said, probly 1 out of 100 is stalkable (maybe a slight exaggeration). I don't really know how to say it right so I'll say it like this. If you go in with low expectations and just enjoy the experience you'll come out a lot happier in the end if things don't pan out. And if they do then the victory will be that much sweeter. I find I get down more when I get high hopes and "just know I'm gonna kill a big one today" and see nothing than when I'm just going to hang out in the woods to kill a couple hours. 2 years ago I killed one of my biggest bucks in a polo shirt and jeans after work. When the stars align it will seem so easy but when they don't it will be near impossible.  Good luck and just have fun.

NeolithicMan:
Buckskin moccasins are deadly silent

RabidApache:
Here..... out west, Southwest AZ to be exact is where your put to the test. I have stalked every animal from coyote, quail, cattle, peccary, horses, people, deer, elk, and everything  in between. Even fish with a spear. Every time its quick movement that they see. I never relied on camo but I depended greatly on some type of cover (brush, washes, wind gusts etc). Of course keeping good wind was always number 1. One thing is to slow down and know your quarry. You could read all you want about stalking but its through practice and blown stalks that you will learn from. I have stalked to deer in plain sight to within 25yds by baby stepping every time they put their heads down to eat, doing this I timed their movements so that by the time they had their heads up I was squatting/sitting still. My approach angle would provide at least a 25-30yd shot when they crossed my path of interception. Too bad there wasn't a buck in the bunch, but I did draw and shoot without releasing an arrow. That's practice out in the field.
I killed my best coues buck at 21 yds bedded at 1pm in the hot of the day. I was hunting with a compound bow then but my max range was 30yds. At the last 60yds or so I dumped my pack, dropped off my boots and crept the last 60. Caught the buck snoozing and he died because of it.
As described before Not all deer are stalkable. You just have to be patient and wait for change. Wind, temps, rain, anything to assist in stalking. I love it with a slight drizzle or gusty mornings for still hunting or stalking.
Honestly spot and stalk is by far the most exciting form of hunting. I never did like stand hunting, it works but I love being out in the woods with bow in hand and seeing what's around the corner.

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